A spring type ball projecting device

ABSTRACT

A new play and practice aid for baseball having a muzzle loading barrel for insertion of regulation size baseball. Said barrel having thrusting member propelled by coil spring firmly fixed to same. Thrusting member held in retracted position by trigger mechanism and pawl. The pawl extends through and into the bottom portion of the bore to help retain the ball thrusting member in a retracted position. A projection from the inner wall of the bore extends inwardly and helps retain the ball thrusting member in a retracted position. The projection is positioned in the bore at a location directly opposite from the pawl. When the pawl is withdrawn from engagement with the ball thrusting member the ball thrusting member moves transversely downwardly to a position under the projection so that the spring may move the thrusting member down the bore of the barrel.

United States Patent [191 Prokupek Nov. 26, 1974 [54] A SPRING TYPE BALL PROJECTING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Alvin Prokupek, 4400 Prospect,

Downers Grove, 111. 60515 22 Filed: Oct. 16,1972

21 Appl. No.: 297,914

Primary ExaminerGeorge J. Marlo Assistant Examiner-William R. Browne 5 7 ABSTRACT A new play and practice aid for baseball having a muzzle loading barrel for insertion of regulation size baseball. Said barrel having thrusting member propelled by coil spring firmly fixed to same. Thrusting member held in retracted position by trigger mechanism and pawl. The pawl extends through and into the bottom portion of the bore to help retain the ball thrusting member in a retracted position. A projection from the inner wall of the bore extends inwardly and helps retain the ball thrusting member in a retracted position. The projection is positioned in the bore at a location directly opposite from the pawl. When the pawl is withdrawn from engagement with the ball thrusting member the ball thrusting member moves transversely downwardly to a position under the projection so that the spring may move the thrusting member down the bore of the barrel.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures I A SPRING TYPE BALL PROJECTING DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION A new and play and practice aid for baseball pertaining to the game of baseball as actually played.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART No prior art pertains to such a practice aid in actual baseball playing as herein described.

SUMMARY This invention relates to a new play and practice aid for baseball in which a gun like means propels the baseball.

It is an object of this invention to provide a gun type means of aiming and propelling a standard baseball in a relatively flat trajectory to a batter.

It is another object of this invention to provide an economical means of manufacture making this invention available to sand lot players.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a means for placing a simulated pitched baseball in any area of the batters strike or ball zone.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and novel means to play the game of catch ball.

Other objects and features will become apparent from the brief description of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a device embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross section view of the new play and practice aid for baseball,

FIG. 3 is an end elevation in section on lines 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal view in section on lines 44 of- FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, represents substantially a hand gun body, made of a plastic or other suitable material, formed in two longitudinal halves 11 and 12. Said halves when assembled comprise barrel 13 of suitable thickness and bore 14, with pistol type grip 15, de-

scending from said body. Bore 14 being suitable in size and into which is inserted regulation size baseball 40. Trigger 16 is enclosed within trigger guard 17 preventing accidental discharge. Coil spring 18 being the propelling means, is firmly fixed into rear wall 19 of pocket 20 which is formed by rearward extension of bore 14, said pocket confining coil spring 18. Forward end of said coil spring firmly fixed into thrusting member 21 at 22. The outside diameter of the coil spring is such to allow free and guided travel thru the bore.

Finger tab 23, a substantially integral part of thrusting member 21. extends through slot 24 inside of said barrel, allows manual means of axially retracting coil spring 18 and thrusting member 21.

Formed finger trigger l6, pivoted at 25 to allow minimum radial travel of finger, is the means for releasing coil spring 18 with thrusting member 21 through action of pawl 26, pivoted at 27. Said trigger and said pawl are commonly pivoted at 28 with arcurate action compensated for by longitudinal slot 29 in said trigger.

a hand gun body having an elongated bore defining an axis and disposed within said body for receiving -a baseball therein, said body providing a closure portion at one end of the bore;

propelling means disposed within said bore and comprising an axially retractable compression spring having coaxial end portions extending outwardly from opposite ends of the spring and a thrusting member axially moveable within said bore between retracted and extended positions, said spring end portions extending into apertures in said closure portion and said thrusting member for holding the latter in axial alignment with the bore;

a trigger means including a pawl disposed within said bore at said retracted position and operative thereat to engage said thrusting member; and

a projection within said bore disposed directly opposite said pawl and said pawl being operative to engage said thrusting member at said retracted position, said projection and said pawl cooperatively operable to retain said thrusting member in a substantially normal relation to the axis of said bore at said retracted position and said trigger means operative to displace said pawl out of said bore to release the thrusting member with attendant movement of said thrusting member transversely of the bore out of engagement with said projection in response to the action of said spring. 

1. A practice aid for propelling a baseball comprising: a hand gun body having an elongated bore defining an axis and disposed within said body for receiving a baseball therein, said body providing a closure portion at one end of the bore; propelling means disposed within said bore and comprising an axially retractable compression spring having coaxial end portions extending outwardly from opposite ends of the spring and a thrusting member axially moveable within said bore between retracted and extended positions, said spring end portions extending into apertures in said closure portion and said thrusting member for holding the latter in axial alignment with the bore; a trigger means including a pawl disposed within said bore at said retracted position and operative thereat to engage said thrusting member; and a projection within said bore disposed directly opposite said pawl and said pawl being operative to engage said thrusting member at said retracted position, said projection and said pawl cooperatively operable to retain said thrusting member in a substantially normal relation to the axis of said bore at said retracted position and said trigger means operative to displace said pawl out of said bore to release the thrusting member with attendant movement of said thrusting member transversely of the bore out of engagement with said projection in response to the action of said spring. 